A lengthy roster of silks and juniors with invaluable expertise in a wide range of family and matrimonial matters. Chambers has good quality and experienced counsel available to deal with all aspects of cases and all levels of complexity.”

Chambers UK 2024, Family/Matrimonial

Voted ‘Regional Family Law Chambers of the Year’ at Family Law Awards 2023

St John’s Family & Divorce team is one of the foremost sets practising family law on the Western Circuit, and we are well known for our expertise in high-value financial remedy work as well as public and private child law both nationally and internationally. Within the team that currently comprises two silks and 29 juniors, we have three Recorders (one a DHCJ-FD), one fee-paid Judge of the First-tier Tribunal and one Deputy District Judge, highlighting the quality of our legal services.

The team enjoy a national reputation for their personable and friendly manner with clients, whether at court, in conference or over the telephone. We are particularly skilled at handling cross-jurisdictional matters for high net worth individuals, especially those concerning the division of assets as part of divorce proceedings. The barristers are frequently called upon to assist with the most complex public children mandates encompassing sexual abuse, brain injury and trafficking matters, and also take on private work such as Children Act proceedings

The team are consistently ranked in Band 1 in Chambers UK, read more here.

We are continuously instructed in cases of crossover into Court of Protection (both health & welfare and property & affairs), Inheritance Act, ToLATA and education. We are the ‘go to’ Chambers when it comes to CMS appeals and advice.

The team provide all ADR services including private FDR’s (chairing and representing), represented mediation (leading and representing), and Arbitration in both financial remedy and Children Act matters.

In financial claims we represent all parties including interveners and third parties as well as spouses and partners. For cases involving children, alongside the parents, our clients include local authorities, Guardians, CAFCASS Legal, the Official Solicitor, and wider family members.

The way in which we have adapted to the changes bestowed upon the team by Covid19, and how we’ve been able to help not only our clients but also the judiciary and court staff, has set us apart. We went 98% paperless immediately when the first lockdown was announced and had Teams/Zoom facilities throughout, which were used creatively to assist our clients and, equally, to assist the courts.

They set a Gold standard with their clerking, which is wonderfully creative and dynamic. They will frequently step up to resolve listing issues for all parties on a given case and make the job of the instructing solicitors that much easier. All chambers should aspire to work in the way that St John’s do.”

instructing solicitor

We also advise on civil partnership disputes as well as professional negligence claims arising from family cases.

Working regularly alongside experts such as valuers, pension specialists, accountants, social workers and medical professionals, each barrister strives to ensure that we find the right solution for each client.

Access to justice remains at the forefront and is integral to our business. Since the introduction of Graduated Fees in 2001, we are committed to providing a comprehensive service in publicly funded work so that the most vulnerable members of society still have proper legal representation.

Our barristers have worked on numerous projects supporting Litigants in Person and vulnerable witnesses. The team has also been involved in initiatives to help the local community.

Our barristers are often quoted in articles about family law, or indeed publish their own, both in the mainstream and legal press, along with specialist journals and via their own respected family law blogs. Barristers have also been featured in a variety of publications and BBC programmes.

Our clerking team are always accessible, and take care and time to understand the case or the individual personalities involved when recommending individual barristers. Read more.

Public Access

Some members of the team are also available to act, where appropriate, for members of the public, under the Public Access scheme. Read more.

Publications and training

Members regularly conduct seminars in Chambers, at solicitors’ offices, or at other chosen venues throughout the UK. We maintain close ties with academics and our members include several published authors, as well as writing for legal periodicals. If you would like to discuss any in-house training, please contact our family clerks on 0117 923 4720 or email [email protected].

Family & Divorce Team

Christopher Sharp QC

Christopher Sharp KC

  • Call: 1975
  • Silk: 1999

With many reported cases, Christopher is frequently instructed on appeals to the Court of Appeal. He has extensive experience in high-value financial remedy, ToLATA and Schedule 1 cases, including those with a foreign element, many of which are...

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Lucy Reed KC

  • Call: 2002
  • Silk: 2023

Lucy is a family law specialist and has practised in family law throughout her professional career. Her practice now spans all areas of family law with a particular emphasis on children work. She often acts in complex, multi-party or high...

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Susan Hunter

Susan Hunter

  • Call: 1985

Susan Hunter has over 30 years’ experience at all court levels. Susan is a children law expert, both public and private, including complex injury, forced marriage and female genital mutilation, spousal murder and parental alienation in addition to...

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Nick Miller

Nick Miller

  • Call: 1994

Nick specialises exclusively in divorce and financial remedy cases. He has an in-depth knowledge and expertise of the issues and the law, including consideration of pensions and actuarial issues along with tax and commercial considerations. Prior to joining the...

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Sarah Philimore

Sarah Phillimore

  • Call: 1994

Sarah was called to the Bar in 1994 and since 1999 has worked as a specialist family lawyer in Chambers in London and Bristol. She specialises in all aspects of children law and Court of Protection work. Sarah...

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Jacqueline Humphreys

Jacqueline Humphreys

  • Call: 1994

Jacqueline is a confident and highly competent advocate, specialising in the financial aspects of relationship breakdown. She rejoined the St John’s Chambers Family & Divorce team from a chambers in Birmingham where she had an enviable reputation for...

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Judi Evans

  • Call: 1996

Judi is Head of our Family & Divorce team, and practises across public and private family law, with particular expertise in cases of abduction and the international relocation of children. In complex public law cases she is involved in multiple...

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Abigail Bond

Abigail Bond

  • Call: 1999

Abigail specialises in law involving children and is Head of the Children Law team. She has considerable experience of care proceedings in which she represents local authorities, parents and children. She has experience in a wide range of...

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Delia Thornton

Delia Thornton

  • Call: 1999

Delia is a specialist family law barrister and mediator. She has a particular interest in care proceedings where she represents parents, and guardians. Her work load involves Fact-Finding hearings concerning allegations of domestic violence, sexual abuse and non-accidental...

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Zahid Hussain

Zahid Hussain

  • Call: 2001

Zahid is an experienced family law barrister with a practice encompassing all areas of Children Law. He frequently represents parents, family members, Guardians, the Official Solicitor and local authority’s in care proceedings at all tiers of Court across the South West, often...

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Caroline Elford

Caroline Elford

  • Call: 2002

Caroline is a specialist family barrister who practises in all areas of family law with a strong emphasis on care proceedings. Her practice in this area has given her a detailed knowledge of the appropriate procedural law and...

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Julia Belyavin

Julia Belyavin

  • Call: 2003

Julia specialises in children law, both public law and private law cases. Her public law practice focuses on complex care cases. Recent instructions have included cases where the principle allegations were sexual abuse and/or inflicted injuries, as well...

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Zoë Saunders

  • Call: 2003

Zoë is a specialist family law barrister with extensive experience of cohabitation disputes involving TOLATA and Applications under Schedule 1 of the Children Act. She has expertise in financial remedy cases involving farms and farming businesses, multiple properties, trusts...

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Jody Atkinson

  • Call: 2005

Jody is regularly instructed by both husbands and wives to advise and represent them in financial proceedings resulting from divorce. Jody regularly advises in complex cases involving trust funds, international issues, farms and family businesses. Jody is well...

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Olivia Pike

Olivia Pike

  • Call: 2008

Olivia is a family law barrister, specialising in public and private law cases concerning children. She was called to the Bar in 2008 and practised in Cardiff, before joining St John’s Chambers in 2018. Olivia represents local authorities,...

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Richard Norman

Richard Norman

  • Call: 2009

Richard is a family law specialist with particular expertise in financial remedies (Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 and Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989) as well as complex private law disputes concerning children. He has a busy Court...

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Jack Harris

  • Call: 2012

Jack now has an entirely remote and paperless practice and continues to offer his services to clients both in conference and in court hearings by telephone and by video conferencing platforms including MS Teams, Zoom, Skype for Business,...

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Oliver Riley

Oliver Riley

  • Call: 2013

Oliver is a private family, trusts and estates barrister, and offers advice, drafting and advocacy services within his areas of specialism. Oliver is also a qualified mediator. He is regularly instructed on behalf of applicants and respondents at...

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Asha Groves NEW

Asha Groves

  • Call: 2013

Asha has a busy family law practice with a particular focus on children public and private Law. Her expertise is strengthened by having worked in the Children’s Services Legal Department of a Local Authority in the South West prior...

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Bethany Hardwicke

Bethany Scarsbrook

  • Call: 2014

Bethany has developed a busy and thriving junior practice as a specialist family law barrister. She accepts instructions in all aspects of family law including: Financial Remedy Proceedings Schedule 1 Children Act 1989 Private law Children Act matters...

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Ryan Morgan

  • Call: 2017

Ryan specialises in all areas of family law with a particular interest in care proceedings. He was called to the Bar in 2017 and practised in another Bristol Chambers, before joining St John’s Chambers in 2019. Ryan often...

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Sophie Smith Holland

Sophie Smith-Holland

  • Call: 2015

Sophie joins Chambers after the successful completion of her specialist family pupillage under the supervision of Judi Evans (Head of Family & Divorce team) and Andrew Commins. Sophie is building a busy practice in the following areas: Children...

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Harriet Dudbridge

Harriet Dudbridge

  • Call: 2015

Harriet has joined chambers after her completion of pupillage under the supervision of Susan Hunter. Harriet joins St John’s Chambers as a Justice First Fellow, a scheme devised by the Legal Education Foundation for the next generation of...

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Sarah Fincham

  • Call: 2018

Sarah has recently joined the Family & Divorce team, formerly a barrister at Four Brick Court where she completed her pupillage and established her practice before returning to the west country, where she grew up. She specialises in...

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Dominik Morton

  • Call: 2018

Dominik has recently joined St John’s Chambers Family & Divorce team, formerly a barrister at Queen Square Chambers. Dominik is praised by many of his lay and professional clients as well as members of the judiciary for his...

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Zoey White

Zoey White

  • Call: 2018

Zoey is a specialist family law barrister with a particular focus on matters relating to private law children disputes. She is regularly instructed to represent clients in all types of applications under s.8 Children Act 1989 and is...

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Georgina Swinglehurst

Georgina Swinglehurst

  • Call: 2019

Georgina joined Chambers as a tenant in October 2023 following the successful completion of her specialist family pupillage under the supervision of Zoë Saunders. During pupillage, Georgina observed a number of high-value claims for financial relief, involving complicated...

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Vivien Croly

  • Call: 2019

Vivien joined Chambers as a tenant in October 2022 following the successful completion of her specialist family pupillage under the supervision of Zoë Saunders. During pupillage, Vivien observed a number of high value claims for financial relief involving...

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Kate Pearson

  • Call: 2019

Kate is building a broad practice as a specialist family law barrister, and accepts instructions in the following areas: Private Law Children Act matters Divorce and Financial Remedies Schedule 1 Children Act 1989 Part IV Family Law Act...

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Diana

Diana M. Panizzon-Pineda

  • Call: 2021

Diana has a busy practice encompassing all areas of children law. She also accepts instructions on injunction applications under the Family Law Act 1996. Diana represents parents, children, local authorities, and extended family members. She is regularly instructed...

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Glen Pritchard

Glen Pritchard

  • Call: 2022

Glen joined our Family & Divorce team in 2022 following a successful career as a solicitor working for a Local Authority where he focussed on children law, representing them in a range of hearing from contested interim removal...

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Directory Quotes

St John’s Chambers is one of the leading sets on the Western Circuit for public and private child law work.”

The Legal 500 2024, Family: Children and Domestic Violence

St John’s Chambers is a strong set for divorce adn financial remedy work, with several barristers, including a KC, well-known across the Western Circuit for acting in high-value and technically complex cases.”

The Legal 500 2024, Family: Divorce and Financial Remedy

A lengthy roster of silks and juniors with invaluable expertise in a wide range of family and matrimonial matters. Chambers has good quality and experienced counsel available to deal with all aspects of cases and all levels of complexity.”

Chambers UK 2024, Family/Matrimonial

All of the barristers at St John’s are extremely capable of dealing with all types of matters, from simple cases through to incredibly complicated and contentious ones.”

Chambers UK 2023, Family & Matrimonial

The clerks are always available at the end of the phone or by email. If any issue arises they will go above and beyond in order to find a solution so that there is minimal difficulty to the instructing solicitor. A truly faultless service.”

Chambers UK 2023, Family & Matrimonial (Client Service)

St John’s Chambers is a very strong family set, housing a team which covers all aspects of family law.”

Legal 500 2023, Family & Children Law

St John’s Chambers is very efficient and counsel are exceptional.”

Legal 500 2023, Family & Children Law (Client Service)

St John’s Chambers has a lengthy roster of silks and juniors with invaluable expertise in a wide range of family and matrimonial matters. Members are particularly skilled at handling cross-jurisdictional matters for high net worth individuals, especially those concerning the division of assets as part of divorce proceedings. The barristers are frequently called upon to assist with the most complex public children mandates encompassing sexual abuse, brain injury and trafficking matters, and also take on private work such as Children Act proceedings. ‘It is an excellent chambers with strength at all levels,’ one interviewee notes.”

Chambers UK 2022, Family/Matrimonial

Luke Hodgson, practice manager, gives a service which feels tailored to the individual. This is mirrored by his team, whose response times to a request are always impressive. The chambers is very organised and very well run. The clerks go above and beyond and are very quick to respond to enquiries. The clerking team are friendly, approachable and extremely efficient, always exceeding expectations.”

Chambers UK 2022, Family/Matrimonial (Client Service)

Excellent set’ St John’s Chambers is ‘a go-to’ chambers in the South West for hard working, knowledgeable and good quality barristers across the board in the arena of family law.”

Legal 500 2022, Family and Children Law

St John’s Chambers is home to a large team of family barristers specialising in high-profile public and private family matters on the Western Circuit.”

Legal 500 2021, Family and Children Law

St John’s Chambers has a lengthy roster of silks and juniors with invaluable expertise in a wide range of family and matrimonial matters. Members are particularly skilled at handling cross-jurisdictional matters for high net worth individuals, especially those concerning the division of assets as part of divorce proceedings. The barristers are frequently called upon to assist with the most complex public children mandates encompassing sexual abuse, brain injury and trafficking matters, and also take on private work such as Children Act proceedings. ‘St John’s is our first choice of chambers on the Western Circuit. What sets them apart is the breadth and depth of their membership,” one source says.’ “

Chambers UK 2021, Family/Matrimonial

Luke Hodgson is the practice manager for the family team and Elaine Jewell-Moore, the family law practice team leader, is described as ‘particularly great, prompt and efficient.’ “

Chambers UK 2021, Family & Divorce (Client Service)

Client Quotes

Solid set of family law barristers from most senior to most junior. Excellent support and collaboration provided to their up and coming juniors.”

Legal 500 client feedback

“St Johns Chambers is one of the fore-front chambers offering counsel for Public Childcare. The clerks are particularly helpful and will go above and beyond to find cover for hearings at short notice.”

Legal 500 client feedback

St John’s are very well respected in Bristol and the South West, used by our team across our offices. They have a range of specialisms and have assisted in cases involving children, complex finances and unmarried couples.”

Legal 500 client feedback

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